1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a peptide compound; more particularly, the present invention relates to a peptide compound having high sensitivity and potent binding ability to sulfur compound and ammonia exhaled from cirrhosis patients. The present invention also relates to a method for measuring sulfur compound and/or ammonia with the peptide compound.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the olfactory system of mammals, the olfactory receptors are embedded in cell membrane of the nasal mucosa. The olfactory receptors react with odor molecules and the signals produced from the reaction transducer to the olfactory region, a brain structure for odor determination, by serial biochemical reactions. The olfactory receptors respond to different odor molecules with unique binding regions. The binding specificity is determined by the amino acid sequence and the tertiary structure of the olfactory receptor. Based on this concept, the present invention suggests that different peptide sequences have unique binding abilities to different odor molecules or compounds. It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to design different peptide compounds as receiving membrane for the measurement of specific compounds in accordance with different measurement purposes.
Additionally, certain disorders, such as cirrhosis, liver disease, or gingivitis, may raise the sulfide level in the body. Nephrosis, uremia, or gastric ulcer may raise the ammonia level of the body. Measuring the level of sulfur compound and/or ammonia in the body or by exhalations can determine whether the subject has these kind of disorders.
In addition, spoiled seafood and fish release ammonia. Another application of the present invention is thus the detection of seafood freshness.
Similarly, the present invention is also useful for measuring sulfur compound and/or ammonia in air and water to determine levels of pollution thereof.